Cotinga 38 Short Communications Behavior and plumage Many aspects of the breeding in Jordão municipality, where of juvenile Rufous-vented biology of species in the genus an adult was photographed by a Ground-Cuckoo Neomorphus Neomorphus are unknown1–3,5,8–10. camera trap (Fig. 1) in an area g. geoffroyi, with new For N. geoffroyi, there is just where palms and bamboos of the records for Acre state, one description of a nest and genus Guadua (Bambusoideae) Amazonian Brazil egg, from Mato Grosso, Brazil8, dominated the understory. A The genus Neomorphus is one of and the description of juvenile second record in the same area was made on 25 May 2012, when the least known among Neotropical N. g. dulcis from Espírito Santo, birds7,12, and many aspects of its where a pair was observed with another adult was recorded biology and natural history are a chick10, the first evidence of by a camera trap (08°45′26″S unknown5,7. The five recognized parental care in this species, 71°59′06″W), ca. 1.1 km from the species replace each other in contrast to the better-known first site. The second site was geographically2. Rufous-vented nest parasites Striped Cuckoo dominated by bamboo and close Ground-Cuckoo N. geoffroyi is the Tapera naevia, Pheasant Cuckoo to a watercourse. On 3 December 2012 an adult was photographed most polymorphic; its subspecies Dromococcyx phasianellus and possess such well-defined Pavonine Cuckoo D. pavoninus. by a camera trap in a bamboo-rich diagnostic plumage characters Parental care in Neomorphus site 26.8 km from the other two that they might be elevated to has also been reported for N. localities (08°59′16″S 71°55′13″W). species status6,12. N. geoffroyi also radiolosus in Ecuador3. A detailed On 6 June 2013 an adult was photographed by a camera has the largest range5,12, being description of juvenile N. g. salvini known to occur in Nicaragua was provided by Haffer3, based trap (09°27′62″S 69°59′27″W) in Chandless State Park, a south to Bolivia. In Brazil, it on a specimen collected by T.R. occurs in Bahia, Minas Gerais, Howell in Nicaragua in 1957. It 695 303-ha conservation unit in Manoel Urbano municipality. This Espírito Santo and, historically, appears that this species breeds northern Rio de Janeiro state. In in the rainy season in Colombia, record (Fig. 2) was archived at Amazonia it is only known south with egg laying in April. In www.wikiaves.com (WA1036243). The site is characterized by open of the Amazon (in southern Pará, southeast Brazil breeding occurs northern Mato Grosso, Tocantins in December–March5. forest dominated by Phytelephans macrocarca, (Arecaceae) palms. and Maranhão)5,7,10. N. geoffroyi is considered New records for Acre, Brazil Comparison with Payne5 shows naturally rare, with an estimated N. geoffroyi is the only known this bird to be N. g. geoffroyi. density of 0.25 pairs per 100 ha member of the genus to occur On 19 January 2014 during a in Amazonian Peru5. Although in Acre state, although until bird survey at a site near the Rio it is not considered globally recently the sole record was a Jurupari (08°34′15″S 69°55′15″W), threatened1, N. geoffroyi is thought sighting in Alto Juruá Extractive 60 km east of Feijó, in Acre, a to be sensitive to deforestation, Reserve11. The first documented juvenile N. geoffroyi was seen with some populations (such as record was made on 13 May in a patch of forest dominated N. g. dulcis in Brazil’s Atlantic 2012, in Alto Tarauacá Extractive by Guadua bamboo. At this site, Forest) under serious threat of Reserve (08°45′29″S 71°59′42″W), the forest as a whole has an extinction5,7,9. a 151 199-ha conservation unit understory dominated by palms, interspersed by clumps of bamboo. Figure 1. Adult Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo Neomorphus Figure 2. Adult Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo Neomorphus geoffroyi, photographed by a camera trap, Alto Tarauacá geoffroyi, photographed by a camera trap, Chandless State Park, Extractive Reserve, Acre, Brazil, May 2012 (André Luis Acre, Brazil, June 2013 (Luiz Henrique de Medeiros Borges) Moura Botelho) 49 Cotinga 38 Short Communications Figure 3. Juvenile Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo Figure 4. Juvenile Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo Neomorphus Neomorphus geoffroyi, Jurupari, Acre, Brazil, January 2014; geoffroyi, Jurupari, Acre, Brazil, January 2014; note white chest note chestnut back and green primaries (Tomaz Nascimento feathers (Tomaz Nascimento de Melo) de Melo) Juvenile plumage and The juvenile N. geoffroyi molting process. Karubian et al.3 behavior remained perched in the same described the nestling and juvenile The juvenile’s plumage had a place for >1 hour, watching of N. radiolosus and commented downy appearance and the tail intently, but not moving. Total that the area behind the eye of was notably short. When the crest time spent observing the bird the nestling begins to become blue was erect, a greenish tint was was 130 minutes. During this ca. 15 days after hatching, and by 20 visible at some angles. The mantle period, an adult N. geoffroyi days is similar to adults, as is the was pale brown, and the wings twice visited the site, remaining generally dark plumage. Karubian dark, with dark-green primaries, c.a 3 minutes on each occasion, et al.3 also reported that juvenile but both the back and wings had with the characteristic sound N. radiolosus leave the nest and a dark ground color (Fig. 3). The of the adult bill-snapping being are subsequently tended and fed by cheeks had a few white feathers heard as it moved around the both adults. barred black. The chest also had observer. According to Haffer2, During our observations, the white feathers, the flanks chestnut bill-snapping in N. geoffroyi juvenile N. geoffroyi was never barred black. The belly was paler occurs most frequently when observed to descend lower than 2 than the back (Fig. 4). The tarsi foraging or if disturbed. Adult m above ground. Although they were gray, irides brown, with bare bill-snapping lasted c.a 2 minutes forage terrestrially, Sick9 noted black orbital skin and a blue patch on each occasion, with the juvenile that adult N. geoffroyi perch to just behind the eyes visible under answering by snapping its own obtain a good vantage point while certain light conditions, but not in bill, but at longer intervals, and preening, resting and sleeping. shade. The bill was pale pink at simultaneously very rapidly In juveniles this behavior is the base of the mandible, becoming raising and lowering its crest, tail likely to be associated with dark gray near the tip, and was and head, as well as occasionally minimizing the risk of predation. noticeably smaller than that of an changing perch (Fig. 5). When According Karubian et al.3, young adult. the sound produced by the adult N. radiolosus begin bill-snapping Observations were made ceased, the juvenile stayed behind, around 15 days after hatching, during rain. The bird was initially but occasionally raised its crest. while still in the nest, and it perched ca. 2 m above ground in an The bird’s plumage increases from the 17th day alert posture, constantly raising characteristics broadly correspond onward. It is only heard when and lowering its tail and crest. to those described by Haffer2 for the parents are absent and elicits The bird approached the observer, N. g. salvini, so it is possible that occasional snaps by the adults jumping quickly between bamboos the observed juvenile was the in response. In contrast, in the and pausing some 6 m away same approximate age as that observed juvenile N. geoffroyi this at a height of 5 m, permitting described by Haffer2, who stated behavior was observed only when photographs and videos to be made that the juvenile molts directly an adult was present. using a digital camera with 50× into subadult plumage. The bird Our records reinforce the zoom lens. observed may, therefore, have importance of camera traps in been at the beginning of this ornithological studies. Their use 50 Cotinga 38 Short Communications (2012) Primeiro registro documentado do jacu-estalo Neomorphus geoffroyi Temminck, 1820 para o bioma Caatinga. Rev. Bras. Orn., 20: 81–85. 8. Roth, P. (1981) A nest of Rufous-vented Ground- Cuckoo (Neomorphus geoffroyi). Condor, 83: 388. 9. Sick, H. (1949) Beobachtungen an dem brasilianischen Bodenkuckuck Neomorphus geoffroyi dulcis Snethlage. In: Mayr, E. & Schuz, E. (eds.) Ornithologie als biologische Figure 5. Juvenile Rufous-vented Ground Cuckoo Neomorphus geoffroyi, Jurupari, Wissenschaft (Festschrift Acre, Brazil, January 2014; in alert posture, with erect crest in presence of an zum 60. Geburtstag von adult (Tomaz Nascimento de Melo) Erwin Stresemann). Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag. was championed by O’Brian & References 10. Sick, H. (1997) Ornitologia Kinnaird4, especially for species 1. BirdLife International. Brasileira. Rio de Janeiro: that are inconspicuous and (2014) Species factsheet: Nova Fronteira. difficult to observe, and was Neomorphus geoffroyi. www. 11. Whittaker, A., Oren, D.C., confirmed by Roos et al.7, who birdlife.org (accessed March Pacheco, J.F., Parrini, R. obtained the first record of N. 2014). & Minns, J. C. (2002) Aves geoffroyi in the Caatinga biome. 2. Haffer, J. (1977) A systematic registradas na Reserva The records in Acre were made review of the Neotropical Extrativista do alto Juruá. in extensive areas of native ground-cuckoos (Aves, In: Cunha, M.C. & Almeida, vegetation, illustrating the need Neomorphus). Bonn Zool. M.B.A (eds.) Enciclopédia for effective local conservation Beitr., 28: 48–76. da floresta. O alto Juruá: to ensure the species’ survival.